wander- new york city

A long, long time ago (about Aprilish) I got word of which EFY sessions I would be working and where they were located throughout the summer and it was then that I made one of the craziest, impromptu decisions of my life. I bought a ticket home from New York City a week after my last session would end in Palmyra.

A good friend of mine once said, “It’s just a plane ticket, buy that, and everything else will fall into place.” So that’s exactly what I did, took the leap and hoped everything would, in reality, fall into place.

In the months leading up to the trip I didn’t have much time to research or plan much, seeing as I was switching from my job at the Church History Library to EFY with a cruise in between, I had to fit everything I owned in my car for the summer (which was an accomplishment in itself), and actually strive to put my entire might, mind, and strength into my job. Luckily, with lots and lots of asking around and the help of Pinterest, I was able to come up with quite a list of things I had to do and see while I was there (A lot of which was based off this awesome pin I found listing tons of free stuff to do in NYC).

Two weeks before my that leg of my trip would begin, I got word that the friend I was going to gallivant around with would not be able to make it. I tried my best not to stress out too much, relying on the hope that everything would work out. After posting an open invitation to anyone who would want to join me/anywhere I could stay while there on Facebook, plans finally started to form. Danielle, a former roommate of mine from BYU-Idaho, whom I hadn’t talked to in about 5 years, mentioned she now lived in Queens and offered to have me stay with her for a few days. Such a blessing! One of my best childhood friends, Aimee, who lived with her cute little family in DC, also offered to have me stay. Thus adding another leg onto my trip.

At the end of the week in Palmyra we all loaded in vans and headed to the airport, all my new friends taking off a few hours before me, Utah-bound. That is when the real nervousness set in. Danielle was a doll and planned to meet up with me at the Jamaica Station after I landed, which meant I had to actually get to that station by myself. Terrified, I fumbled around and eventually made it in the right direction (this is actually how most of my trip went). Reunited at last, we took the subway to Danielle’s job in Long Island City (not at all related to actual Long Island, but as gorgeous as all get out).

Oh and just a quick travel tip: if you plan on taking a trip where you know lots of walking will ensue… Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, pack all your belongings in a duffle bag. It’s way too heavy and does not handle the weight well at all. I thought, “This will be perfect, I don’t want to be rolling my carry-on around all of NYC.” FALSE! I would’ve given my left arm to have that blessed rolley-bag, it nearly fell of anyway.

That night I spent exploring Long Island City Pier while Danielle worked at this cute little coffee shop. The view of Manhattan from the pier was to die for, I just couldn’t believe I was actually there. All along the pier were places to read, play ball, walk your dog, watch Shakespeare plays, and socialize. I loved it, but at the same time felt pretty overwhelmed. This was probably due to the lack of sleep I had been accumulating over my last two weeks of EFY.

On the way back to Queens that night, after taking a few subway rides and ending up on a bus, I sat a seat away from this high school-aged kid who seemed to be freaking out a little bit. Once I was able to decipher what he was saying through all the N-words, I realized he was nervous to be sitting near the window with the light on because he didn’t want to be shot up. This did not ease my terror at all and for the 50th time that day thought, “What did I get myself into?”

The next day was Sunday and Danielle was working a double, essentially being gone all day. I had the decision to stay in bed and sleep off all my EFY exhaustion or go out on my own and try to locate the church building another friend of mine attended. I was ready to bunker down when I realized this was it for me, this was what I had wanted for so long, to travel to places I’ve never been and make my own way. I, for years, had joked about backpacking through Europe alone, yet in the back of my mind knowing it wasn’t a joke but a really huge dream of mine. And, now that the opportunity test this dream (in a smaller sense) was staring me in the face, I was about to pass it up. So I put on my big girl pants and walked out the door.

I had gotten a Metro card the day before with a few dollars on it and was under the impression that the train I got on would take that as payment, but nope. I had multiple conductors come up to me and ask to see my ticket, of which I didn’t have, then walk off frustrated saying it was $13 and I need to fill out paperwork. I had $9 cash, a handful of coins, and tears about to fall down my face when they explained they would bill me and I can send a check later. Not my proudest moment.

 

 

Thank heavens for Google Maps and HopStop! Because of those wonderful apps, I was able to get to the church building without another glitch and could finally breathe a sigh of relief. My dear friend, Makoto truly saved the day by touring me around for the rest of the afternoon. We went to Times Square (a New Year fanatic’s dream come true), Grand Central Station, New York Public Library, and the Rockefeller Center; taking lots of pictures and catching up on lost time. Up until that point I had still been wondering if this trip was really such a good idea but, spending time with Makoto and getting to marvel in the sites I had only dreamed of before, really helped ease the nervousness!

And it only went up from there. Danielle and I went back to Queens that night (no scary bus rides this time) and came back into the city the next day. Jessica, my coordinator from my last two sessions of EFY, was a sweetheart and set me up with a lot of great tips, places to eat, and even friends to stay with; having lived in the city herself not too long ago. So, that night we contacted one of her friends and asked if we could crash at their place located on the upper east side of Manhattan. They lived on the 4th floor an awesome apartment building with a view to die for. We were right in the city!

Over the next few days Danielle and I had the time of our lives playing tourists. We went to some of the most amazing places to eat (blog post to come), saw comedy shows, went museum hopping, had breakfast in central park, took a ferry to Statin Island and saw the Statue of Liberty. But honestly one of the best parts about the trip was catching up with her and Makoto. Sadly, because of my limited funds (I ate too much food) and the hassle of lugging my dumb duffle around, I was unable to make the trip down to DC to see Aimee. Which only means I’m going to be constantly on the lookout for the opportunity to make that happen soon (check out the SkyScanner app, its awesome).

This trip to NYC was such an amazing experience and has taught me so much! I’ve learned that I am so blessed to have so many friends around the world that are willing to help me make the most of my dreams. I’ve learned that when you take the time to really decide what you want (and make a list) things will line up for those things to come your way. I’ve learned that duffle bags are the worst. That macaroons aren’t that yummy. That big cities are awesome. That in just a couple of days the subway system starts to make sense. That facing your fears is one of the most liberating feelings. And that life is an adventure and we should take every chance we possibly can to give it a go.